The official record of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts : together with a phonographic report of the evidence and arguments at the hearing / by George C. Burpee and W.O. Robson.

Tyler, John M.

Date:: 1874

Credit: The official record of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts : together with a phonographic report of the evidence and arguments at the hearing / by George C. Burpee and W.O. Robson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

527/612 (page 517)

$Mr. Mclntire. The principal things we wish to put in are certain mor- tality tables; I think the gentleman's reputation is such that it should not be objected to. Mr. Muzzey. I have not any objection to that. I had the opportunity of cross-examining Dr. Marcy when he testified before, and these are sub- stantially the same facts which he stated then. In his cross-examination he put in some other supplementary facts which are not here, but ought to accompany the article. Dr. Derby. I think the objections may all be removed wdien it is stated that the facts which Dr. Marcy gives us were published in the Fourth Annual Report of the State Board of Health. Mr. Mclntire. I suppose, if it is right to put this in, they have the right to put in the supplementary facts. The Chairman. I think that the evidence of Dr. Marcy is very impor- tant. That would be my view of it. Mr. Derby. I don't object to that, sir. It is only to have it in a proper manner. The Chairman. You may proceed to read. Mr. Mclntire then read as follows : — Last autumn, w^hen the periodical excitement over the slaughtering establishment of John P. Squire and the Miller's River nuisance was at high tide, believing that the surroundings complained of, and the entire absence of sanitary care and precaution in whole neighboring districts must increase the mortality rates (although, as may seem strange, it was a question over which medical gentlemen practising in these localities had different opinions). Dr. A. L. Norris of East Cambridge, and myself, were induced to carefully examine the records, and the following table of facts was presented, which I have felt are of sufficient interest to our pro- fession to offer them here to your notice. The basis of population is taken from the census of 1870, which (gives a uniform increase in population for five years) would afford a nearly mean average in numbers. They are as follows : — Population, 1870. Deaths during five years. Number of inhabitants to one death per annum. Ward 1, 6,909 552 62.66 2, 10,386 1,267 41. 3, 9,178 1,134 40.45 4, 8,865 728 60.90 5, 4,311 376 66. 39,652 4,057 48.80 This is an annual mortality of between twenty and twenty-one to the thousand of the inhabitants, and differs only a slight fraction from the mortality rates of the county of Middlesex. Ward lines unfortu- nately prove arbitrary divisions, not best arranged for our purpose, but give us the only data of population. Ward Three comprises East Cam- bridge, and Ward Two includes the territory lying south and west to Main Street. Perhaps one half of Ward Two may be considered as$